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It’s Friday and oh my god the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Finals are on steroids. We also got Gold Cup action starting up and I discussed the future of TNT. Let’s get started.
We Got A Classic Brewing in NBA Finals Land:
So, Indiana has a 2-1 lead over Oklahoma City in the NBA Finals. Cheer or be disgusted, it’s up to you but man has it been an awesome Finals so far.
One of my favorite content creators named Kofie said something about these Finals which I feel like everyone can agree on. These Finals going on right now is just one big chess match. A “generational” one perhaps in the words of the creator when he discussed the head coaches for both teams.
Pacers’ head man Rick Carlisle understands the spot he’s in right now because he has experienced it with the Mavericks in 2011. The Heat were the better team on paper with “the Big Three” of Lebron, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. But Carlisle and his star player Dirk Nowitzki were able to overcome them and win a championship.
The same narrative is playing out again and this time, Carlisle and his squad are up in the series after three games. But, Thunder’s head coach, Mark Daigneault, will have a counter punch given that OKC are a team that rarely loses back to back games.
Back to the Pacers for just a quick minute. Indiana put on a show for their home crowd who have been waiting for this moment for 25 years.
Defensively, the Pacers disrupted the Thunder with 13 steals and 11 blocks. But after watching the game live and revisiting the box score, you could tell the Pacers wanted to win badly.
Tyrese Haliburton with a near triple-double, Myles Turner with five blocks, TJ McConnell balling off the bench. Heck, Bennedict Mathurin had 27 points off the bench. It was an incredible performance for a team many doubted would have a lead in this series.
For the Thunder, it’s about finishing the game like they have all season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren performed well on their parts.
Could it be the lack of Finals experience? Perhaps, but everyone knows that this team is capable of winning it all. Come Friday night, they should rebound nicely as the series has been a back and forth battle so far.
However, if the Thunder fall 3-1 in the series, it will be tough for them to come back. But we know that it’s possible to come back from that deficit.
The TNT Sports Situation, Oh Boy:
Like many, my family has had a cable plan since I was very little. No matter the service we received in the North Jersey area, we always had the luxury of watching unique channels because of cable.
However, streaming has no doubt taken a toll on cable television as more people keep cutting the cord. My family still has it, but at what point do we just give up on it? I realistically only use it to watch sports and nothing more.
The past few months in entertainment have seen massive changes hit the industry. From NBCUniversal spinning off many of their cable networks, to a merger between Skydance Media and Paramount Global in the works, it’s a strange time. This week even, Warner Bros. Discovery announced they would separate into two companies.
One of them will be called Global Networks which will house TNT Sports and Bleacher Report. However, while content from TNT Sports will continue to stream on MAX for a bit, that may change in the future. Additionally, many of the rights they have will expire in a few years and leagues might not have interest in reupping or partnering with them.
This is to say that TNT and the other networks associated with the channel are screwed heading deeper into the decade. Obviously, one of the biggest and maybe largest reasons is the loss of the NBA. As popular as the NHL and March Madness are to the brand, the NBA was TNT’s prized jewel.
For many years, one of the only reasons why I even bothered to watch TNT was because of the NBA. Were there good scripted programs and cool action movies being aired on the network? I mean to an extent, yes.
But realistically, not since the pandemic or high school have I watched anything besides sports on networks like TNT or TBS. I watched reruns of American Dad, Family Guy and Friends and that was pretty much it. I wasn’t watching TNT for reruns of old WB or CW's shows like Supernatural like come on now.
But when a company loses such an outstanding thing like the NBA, what’s the point of tuning in? Yeah there have been talks to partner with streamers or other broadcast companies to air their sports, which could work. However, I think it says more about cable today than anything.
When I’m not watching sports, I read or watch things revolving around the media industry. I literally am someone who checks viewership numbers for outdated or useless channels. For example, I know way too much about the demise of Universal Kids (formerly Sprout), which shut down in March.
To potentially see a channel like TNT go extinct would be shocking no doubt. Hopefully, all goes well given that they have invested in more sports since the NBA aired its last game a few weeks back. But we shall wait and see.
The 2025 Gold Cup from an American's Perspective:
The 2025 Gold Cup has arrived and the USA will look to earn their eighth cup in this tournament and their first since 2021. However, you’ve seen the headlines about this national team and there has been a lot of animosity recently.
Earlier in the week, I mentioned how excited and happy I was to see Portugal win the Nations League Final. With all of my family being Portuguese, it was something I could be proud of and something I could enjoy with them. As an American, I want this USA team to win everything and one day be the best soccer team in the world.
I love international competition in all sporting events. Whether it’s the Olympics, the Four Nations Face-Off earlier this year, or the World Cup, I echo my national pride loud and proud.
This national team has meant a lot to me. I remember watching guys like Tim Howard and Clint Dempsey as a middle schooler. I felt proud to watch these guys perform with an underdog mentality and compete for an entire nation they love. So what about this generation, the “golden generation” everyone has dubbed it?
Leading up to this year’s Gold Cup, the US fell to Turkey and Switzerland in friendlies and everyone was in panic mode. I’ve heard analysts say players should play for their nation and not rest. I’ve heard this team is not mature enough and not on par with the other national teams around the world.
To me, this team has achieved great results, especially earlier in the decade. Whether it was the Gold Cup or the Nations League, they know how to win. There are incredible players that will and can get it done.
However, this team is better as an underdog. With everything against them, they perform at a grander level that people are in awe of. Yes, the US is a super nation, but we as Americans feel like we still have to work hard and prove it to everyone.
With the World Cup less than a year away, the pressure has been on the United States to perform well on the international soccer stage. Even with all the bad press around this team currently, I do believe this team will overcome their challenges. Win another Gold Cup and the doubters will be silenced.
It all starts for the USA Sunday night vs Trinidad & Tobago in San Jose, a team they cannot overlook.
Final Thoughts:
Alright hockey lovers, the Stanley Cup Finals have been legendary so far. Heck, just insert the “Martin Scorsese absolute cinema” meme well you’re at it.
Four games into the Finals and Edmonton and Florida are tied at two. When Edmonton were down 3-0 after the first period, I knew something was said by Connor McDavid in the locker room to get everyone going. Upon further research, veteran Corey Perry rallied his troops after the first period and gave them an emphatic talk in the locker room.
The Oilers then proceed to score three goals of their own in the second period. But of course, this game got even crazier as the night moved along. After the Oilers took the lead in the third period, Sam Reinhart with seconds remaining in regulation tied it at four.
But then in overtime, Leon Draisaitl once again won it for the Oilers in what has been an incredible postseason for him. Seriously, he now has the most overtime goals in a single postseason with four. Everyone talks about Tyrese Haliburton’s late game heroics, but they never talk about Draisaitl’s effort.
This has been a Cup Finals for the ages and I hope it goes to seven games because it’s been amazing. Also, shoutout Winnipeg's Connor Hellebuyck, who was the first goalie to win the Hart Trophy since Carey Price in the 2014-2015 season. Literally predicted it in an article I wrote a few months back.